Chapter 11| The Predator’s Eyes

Christabel’s POV

She nodded once. “She was injured. He gave strict orders.” Something didn’t sit right in my gut. My instincts twisted, pulling me in a direction I didn’t like. Without thinking, I said, “I’ll come with you.”

Marilyn hesitated for a second, but nodded and led the way. The stone beneath our feet turned damp and cold as we went deeper into the dungeon halls. Torches lined the walls, flickering and casting shadows that danced like ghosts. 

When we reached the end of the hall, the guards stepped aside and pulled the iron gate open. Marilyn entered first with the maid trailing close behind, both moving carefully toward the figure lying on the floor.

She looked broken. That was my first thought. The girl lay curled on her side, blonde hair tangled and messy across her pale face. She didn’t move until the priestess gently touched her arm and whispered something I couldn’t hear. 

She stirred, eyes fluttering open, and for a second, I saw something wild in her. Something proud… and wounded. Marilyn worked quickly, cleaning the cuts on her arms, helping her drink something from the tray. 

The girl winced but didn’t make a sound. She sat up slowly, her back resting against the wall, head tilted up as if refusing to bow to anyone. When she was done, Marilyn and the maid gathered their things and left without another word.

But I stayed.

I couldn’t stop staring at her. Her skin was pale, almost glowing in the dim torchlight. She looked fragile, like the life had been drained from her—but there was something else. A sharpness in her eyes. A kind of defiance I didn’t understand. 

Her beauty wasn’t normal. It was the kind that made you uneasy. Like she didn’t belong in this world. Then her head turned, and her eyes locked on mine.

“Why are you staring at me?” she asked, her voice low but steady. I didn’t answer. I just took a step forward, jaw tightening.

“If you’ve got something to say, get it over with,” she added, brushing her hair away from her face. A cold laugh slipped from my mouth. “If you knew who the fuck I am, you wouldn’t talk to me like that.”

She didn’t flinch. Her eyes narrowed.

“I don’t care who you fucking are. Just leave. You all look disturbing in this pack.” Something snapped inside me. The way she sat there, caged and bruised, but still spoke like she owned the ground—who the hell did she think she was?

And then it hit me.

Mate!

Theo had spoken about finding his mate last night, almost in a whisper. Could this girl be her? The one he chose over us? My hands curled into fists by my side. My blood boiled in my veins.

This was the girl who stole everything from us? This girl, so frail she could barely stand? And yet she had the nerve to talk down to me? I took a slow breath, trying not to lose control, then leaned closer to the bars.

“You’ll pay for speaking to me like that,” I said quietly, my voice tight with rage. “Once you’re out of this cell, you’ll learn your place. Believe me.” 

I didn’t wait for her to answer. I turned and stormed out, my boots slamming hard against the stone floor, fury rising in my chest like a fire I couldn’t put out.

Daphne’s POV

By noon, they served me food.

It was a small plate of stale bread and a bowl of thick soup, barely warm, but I ate it without complaint. Hunger did strange things to a person. It made you grateful for things you used to hate. 

My back ached, and my head felt heavy from too much silence. I didn’t know how long I had been down here. The only light came from a narrow opening near the ceiling, and even that faded as the day went on.

By nightfall, they brought another plate. This time it smelled better. A chunk of meat and soft bread. It surprised me. Why feed a prisoner like this? Were they fattening me for something worse?

Then I heard it—the dungeon gate groaning open again. Two guards stepped in, their boots echoing on the stone floor. “Get up. You’ve been released,” one of them said, voice flat.

“Seems like today’s your lucky day,” the other added, half-smirking. I blinked at them, confused, but I didn’t speak. I rose slowly, my legs stiff and my body sore, and followed behind them. 

I didn’t know where I was going, but anywhere was better than this hellhole. We moved through long halls with torch-lit walls, the air growing warmer with each step. As we reached the main floor, the change hit me. 

Everything sparkled with gold and polished stone, the scent of incense and something sweet filling the space. The pack house was stunning, like a palace from a storybook. But I couldn’t enjoy it. 

Not when maids lined the corridors, all dressed in matching uniforms, their eyes fixed on me like I was a disease. I could feel their stares on my filthy skin and torn clothes, but I kept walking.

Finally, we stopped in front of a large golden door. It was tall and heavy, carved with strange markings that shimmered faintly in the light. The guards opened it slowly and gestured for me to step inside.

I paused for a second. My heart pounded against my ribs. I didn’t know what was on the other side, but something told me this wasn’t freedom.

I stepped inside the room—and froze.

There he was.

The last person I ever wanted to see again.

Alpha Theo.

He sat on a wide armchair like it belonged to him and him alone, his long legs spread slightly apart, his bare chest on full display. A thick black tattoo coiled across his chest and down his ribs, strange and tribal like it was meant to mark something ancient. 

His skin was golden and smooth, muscles hard and flexed beneath every breath. His left eye was covered with a dark mask, and the right—God, the right—was a bright gem-like green that cut straight into me.

He was beautiful. Dangerous. Breathtaking in the most terrifying way. A shiver crawled down my spine as I looked at him. I hated him. I knew I did. But my body didn’t seem to understand. 

My stomach twisted, my chest tightened, and my skin burned where his gaze touched it. I wanted to look away, but I couldn’t. He grinned, slow and sharp, and I hated the way it made something flutter low in my belly.

“How was your experience down there?” he asked, voice soft but full of amusement. “Let’s see if you still want to escape from me again.” My mouth was dry. I had no words.

He leaned back slightly, the grin still on his face, his eyes never leaving mine. The mask made him look more dangerous, like a predator playing with its prey. And I—I felt like I had walked straight into his trap.

Then he turned his head slightly.

I hadn’t noticed her before, a young lady standing silently at the far end of the room. She looked nervous, her hands shaking slightly as she waited for his command.

“Get her cleaned up for me,” Theo said, voice sharper now. His gaze snapped back to me, and something dark flickered behind it. Something primal.

And in that moment, I felt it.

I was being prepared for something else.

Something I didn’t want.

My breath hitched as one thought slammed into me. Was he planning to fuck me? Oh gods no!